In a time division duplex (TDD) system, a same spectrum is allocated to an uplink and a downlink, and the uplink and the downlink occupy different time periods. Currently, in an Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, neighboring cells use a same TDD configuration mode (that is, an uplink-downlink timeslot configuration) as much as possible, to avoid inter-cell interference from an uplink (UL) to a downlink (DL) and inter-cell interference from a DL to a UL.
To improve frequency utilization, a TDD system may allocate different uplinks and downlinks in different timeslots, so as to make full use of wireless resources and adapt to asymmetry of different services. Such a technology of adaptively implementing an uplink-downlink timeslot configuration according to a service need of a network device is usually referred to as a flexible half-duplex technology.
However, when neighboring cells use different timeslot configurations, cross-timeslot interference is generated, that is, when a cell uses one timeslot to transmit uplink information and a neighboring cell uses the same timeslot to transmit downlink information, there is interference between the two cells, which is presented as interference from one base station to another or interference from one piece of user equipment to another. Such interference reduces a system capacity, or even leads to a call drop and blocking.
To make full use of advantages of the TDD system, dynamically adjust uplink-downlink resource allocation, and improve spectrum efficiency, a proper technical solution needs to be used to overcome impact of cross-timeslot interference. To reduce or avoid the cross-timeslot interference, a base station performing interference suppression needs to learn of an interference status of a neighboring cell. Therefore, in an application scenario of the flexible half-duplex technology, how to indicate interference is a problem that urgently needs to be resolved currently.